Tokyo’s winning bid for the 2020 Olympics "owes much to the work of the Havas consultancy Seven46 and Interpublic’s PR shop Weber Shandwick," according to MEDIA WEEK. Since the success of the 2012 London Games bid, U.K. agencies "have thrived as bid advisors for mega-sports events." Seven46 helped Tokyo's bid strategy, writing its winning document and creating its strapline: "Discover tomorrow." The agency, which became part of Havas Sports & Entertainment last year, "was founded by Nick Varley." The agency’s growth prospects "changed the moment London’s win was announced." Seven46 has since worked on the 2016 Rio Olympics bid and the "successful pitch" for the London 2017 World Championships in athletics. Marketing giants "are looking to ratchet up profits from their sports divisions as the lines between entertainment, brand-building, social media and sport blur." Varley said that British consultants "lead the world in event bidding because of their narrative powers." Varley: "We excel at this for the same reason that our advertising industry is well-regarded. We are good at telling effective stories and bringing them to life with campaigns." There "is room for the smaller specialist too." Vero, which was founded by Mike Lee, the director of communications for the 2012 London bid, "helped Qatar win the 2022 World Cup" (MEDIA WEEK, 9/19).

The Russian Defense Ministry "has cancelled its previous order for two warships to head to Eastern Mediterranean." The Russian Navy said that "the two warships now are assigned a task to prepare for the security mission" during the 2014 Sochi Olympics (XINHUA, 9/19). ... Japanese PM Shinzo Abe "ordered the scrapping of two Fukushima nuclear reactors that survived the 2011 tsunami." He stood by his commitments to the IOC "of insuring a safe 2020 Summer Games." Abe: "I will work hard to counter rumors questioning the safety of the Fukushima plant" (REUTERS, 9/19).